fitness tips

One of the meh things about exercising at some point during the workday is the motivation it takes to change from office clothes into workout clothes...and back again. This is something that Amy and Colleen, creators of Second-Shift Athlete know a lot about: They both have full-time jobs and get the challenges of exercising during ridiculously busy days, because that's exactly what they do. That's why they started their site—to connect with other busy women and find clever ways to fit in workouts throughout the day. One of their solutions to the change-of-workout-clothes dilemma? Don't change 'em at all! "This is one way we've found to fit in workouts seamlessly," Amy says. "Plus you get to (ack! Forgive this pun, but) flex your style muscles a bit too." Here's Amy, wearing Silver Linings Leggings, $79.95 from Ellie.com—work-ready on the left and ready to work out on the right: Amy and Colleen say the most important aspect of wearing exercise leggings to work is covering your butt and your ankles—those zones are dead giveaways that you're in workout gear. To do it, she adds a button-down, a blazer, and accessorizes with boots, a bag, and a fun necklace. And, says Amy, read more

If you want to burn calories equivalent to running 10 marathons a year, then the results of a new study show that you should do this. Well, actually—the opposite of this (sorry, Liz Lemon!): The small study—via the BBC and the University of Chester—found that standing instead of sitting for an extra three hours a day can add up to burning serious calories over the course of a year: 30,000! That's about 50 extra calories per hour (or what amounts to 8 pounds of fat). In the experiment, volunteers stood for at least three hours during weekdays and wore, throughout their days, accelerometers, heart rate monitors, and glucose monitors. Then researchers took measurements on standing days and compared them with the days when volunteers sat instead. Not only did the volunteers heart rates stay higher on the days they stood—about 10 extra beats per minute, which translates into a bigger calorie burn—but their blood glucose levels went back to normal more quickly after eating. Neat, right? But how do you actually add in those three extra hours of standing? Well, there are standing desks—they're higher, so that you can do everything you'd normally do while sitting. Treadmill desks up the read more

Did you see Miranda Kerr's little trick for getting in some exercise and tending to her skin? Why, yes—she applies a face mask before she gets her downward dog on! Obviously, this time-saving trick won't work for every workout routine—spin class with a face mask on would result in a goopy, streaky mess—but there are other things that you can do while exercising. I mean, there are days where your "to-do list" might as well be called your "to-do manifesto"...those things only get longer, dang it. You can watch TV, catch up on your required reading, and listen to newscasts while you work out—but you can also sneak in some multitasking exercises when you're not even at the gym yet. Do your hair and tone your glutes. How long do you typically stand in front of the mirror, drying your hair after your morning shower? Or putting on your makeup? Or brushing your teeth? Even if your getting-ready routine is only a minute or two long, that's really all you need to work your butt and thighs with some squats! Stand with your feet slightly farther apart than hip-width, tighten your core, and slowly bend your knees until you're basically read more

You logged some serious hours at the gym and used all the willpower you had to avoid the known diet derailers (hello, hot dogs, margaritas, and ice cream!) this summer. Once the colder weather arrives, don't let the crisp air and additional clothing layers tempt you into skipping the gym to eat comfort food on the couch. To keep that sexy bikini body (and turn it into a sexy skinny-jeans body), try these easy workout tips to stay in stellar shape all year long. read more

In some sort of weird world where there existed nothing but biking or running for exercise—which would you choose? It's a matter of personal preference, of course—maybe you can't stand spin class, or running bores you to tears—or you may have knee or back problems that could keep you from doing one or the other. But, according to the New York Times, there are very specific benefits to both...broken down like so! Biking: * Burns fewer calories per hour than running (a 150-pound person cycling at 16 to 19 miles per hour burns about 850 calories). * A gentler workout than running, at least for your joints and the weight-bearing parts of your body. * Vigorous cycling may lower levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates your appetite (meaning you won't be as hungry). Running: * Generally burns more calories per minute than cycling (a 150-pound person running a 7-minute mile—which is really, really fast—burns about 1,000 calories per hour). * Has been shown to be the source of more injuries than cycling. * Vigorous running may also quell your appetite. In the end, I totally agree with the NYT's conclusion: Do what works for you. After all, we exist read more

OK, I agree: TV-show drinking games can be fun. Once in a while. If you're like me, who considers a glass of wine getting wild 'n' crazy, you can quickly end up a lot more inebriated than you might have expected. So...why not try a workout game instead? Nina Dobrev recently discovered a Vampire Diaries workout game, and she posted it with a message to her WhoSay account: "Hahaha @julieplec if we did this every Thursday we'd be ripped! #TVD" Wanna play? Here's the workout: Nina Dobrev more from Nina Dobrev » And there are other TV shows you can work out to as well! Which would you try? Pretty Little Liars * Get into plank position during the entire opening theme song * Run in place for the whole duration of all flashbacks * If someone mentions Alison (or "A"), do 10 push-ups * If a red coat or black glove appears, do 10 bicep curls * Whenever someone sees a written message, do 20 crunches Sex and the City * Do jumping jacks during the entire opening theme song * Whenever someone drops the name of a designer, do 10 crunches * If Charlotte reprimands one of her read more

If you don't have high-tech gym equipment at home—and, let's be honest, how many of us do?—you know that it's still possible to get a kick-butt workout with exercises that don't require much equipment at all. In fact...you can MacGyver a pair of paper plates and give your abs and butt a serious toning session. Paper plates...who knew? The idea is to mimic glider disks: circles that you place under each foot or each hand and slide from side to side (sort of like speed skating). Leah Sparks at Tybee Island YMCA & Recreation outlines an intense workout for the Savannah Morning News: * For your abs: Put your toes on the paper plates and get into plank position. Bring your knees toward your chest, and then extend them back to plank. Repeat for 3 sets, 30 seconds each. * For your butt: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet hip-width apart, and heels on the paper plates. Keeping your head and shoulders on the floor, raise your hips of the ground, and extend your legs without letting your butt touch the floor. Return to start, and repeat for 3 sets, 30 seconds each. She also suggests standing on the read more

You know how that $4 latte that you get every morning doesn't seem that extravagant at the time—but when you add up how many $4 lattes you've had over the course of a month, you realize that you've had $100 worth of caffeine? The same thing can happen when you want to lose weight—well, in the good, not-draining-your-bank-account sort of way, of course. Instead of making dramatic changes to your eating habits and your workout regimen all at the same time—which research has shown can often end up in failure—try some of these little things, which can add up. 1: Have some soup for lunch. Several studies have found that people who slurp soup every day end up eating fewer calories overall. And soups filled with chunky veggies are even better: one study showed that those who ate chunky vegetable soups instead of pureed vegetable soups ate 20 percent less. 2. Blot the grease off your pizza. It actually helps! You can save 40 calories and 4 grams of fat, all by dabbing your slice with a napkin. 3. Sprint. If you're already going for a jog or run during the week, break up your course with intermittent sprinting sessions. read more

Hot and humid summer weather makes working out feel like a lot of...well, work. Thank goodness for air-conditioned gyms. But what if you're not a member? Ooh, have I got good news for you... Until August 31, whenever the temperature climbs above 90 degrees, all New York Sports Club, Boston Sports Club, Washington Sports Club, and Philadelphia Sports Club gyms will let you work out for free. Even if you're not a member! That's a pretty sweet deal, considering the scorching temperatures across the East Coast—and the fact that working out in said temperatures can be dangerous (possibly leading to heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or even heatstroke). All you have to do is say "heat wave promotion" when you check in at the front desk. If you're not near one of the above clubs, Merell is offering workouts with Life Time in more than 100 locations through August; they're outdoors, but free, and promise to be seriously butt-kicking. You can also request free trial short-term memberships at a gym near you—they're usually good for one day, or up to one week—or tag along with a friend to her gym, where they might have temporary "friend and family" passes available. And read more

Does your city have a trampoline park? If you think they're just for kids, please adjust your thought process by about 15 percent because, no matter how old you are, they are a blast. Just ask Julianne Hough! She visited Sky Zone in Torrance, Calif., and posted this very boingy video to Instagram: That flip is masterful. But then again, Jules is super-athletic and has a lot of experience with acrobatics from her many years of dance training, so why wouldn't it be? Anyway, with the video, she also posted this message: "Was supposed to go on hike...but ended up in a pit of foam instead. That was a serious workout!!!" And she's totally right. Studies published in the Journal of Applied Physiology have shown that 10 minutes of trampoline jumping can equal the health benefits of running for more than 30 minutes. And sproinging around for an hour can burn anywhere from 250 to 1,000 calories, depending on your intensity. Plus, how fun does it look? I feel springy just watching her. Not enough to do a flip, mind you. But still—springy! Do you like trampoline parks, or jumping on regular trampolines? More celebrity health and fitness: * Stars read more

The world is all aflutter that Kate Middleton is expected to give birth any moment now—and we can only assume that she's excited too. Actually, sources say that she's "nervous" about going into labor—but what mama-to-be isn't? I mean, really! So Kate's reportedly been doing something to prep her body (and her mind too): prenatal yoga. The pregnancy poses are designed to promote flexibility and breathing techniques, while also even helping alleviate pain later, during labor. While there are certain poses that pregnant women need to avoid—most notably, anything that squeezes or twists your torso—yoga is thought to be a gentle, mindful exercise that can be good for both mom and baby. Says Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting: "A baby whose mom exercises during pregnancy is more likely to be born at a healthier weight. Of course, this releases endorphins too, and they can boost your mood and paradoxically give you more energy." Kate's also apparently been swimming regularly, heading to the Palace pool whenever she needs some private relaxation. Swimming is also ideal for pregnancy: it supports joints and ligaments, and prevents overheating. Are you excited for the birth of the royal baby? What read more

Ooh. After a weekend of barbecues and ice cream cones (which were delicious, don't get me wrong), a video that Bar Refaeli posted to Instagram is exactly the kind of kick in the pants that I—and anyone else who might be feeling the after-effects of too many chips and dips—might need. Take a look at these stills (but click here to see her in action—the video is only 15 seconds but it gives you an idea of what her routine is like): Easy? Not at all. Bar combines some cardio with intense moves that use her body weight and really work her core. She's also been known to practice Krav Maga, an Israeli fighting method that combines elements of martial arts and boxing, about which she says: "My trainer taught me all kinds of kicks, and they work everywhere—your abs, your butt." Are you also in need of any post-Fourth festivities fitness inspiration? What do you think of Bar's routine? More celebrity workouts: * How Jada Pinkett Smith exercises * Venus Williams' workout tips * 19 star bodies that'll make you want to go to the gym Photos: Instagram read more

It's not that exercising in the morning is hard. It's that getting out of bed to actually do it is. The makers of Wake N Shake recognized the value of an un-snoozable alarm clock, creating an app that won't let you turn it off—until you shake it! There are 16 levels of shake intensity—everything from "Teddy Bear," which takes about 5 seconds to shake until the alarm switches off, to "Impossible," which can take as long as 3 minutes—and requires extra-vigorous shaking. Oh, and any time you stop shaking early, you have to go back to the very beginning and start all over again. Calorie-wise, this little A.M. shake-session could potentially burn in anywhere in the 12ish to 25ish calorie range per 3 minutes—and by the end, you'll probably be awake enough to venture out for your actual workout! So clever! Do you have a hard time climbing out of bed for an A.M. exercise session? Photo: Thinkstock read more

Jada Pinkett Smith and her fam went on vacation to Hawaii, where she surfed and worked out on the beach. And—oh, yeah!—looked happy, healthy, and very fit in her bikini: Wow, right? So, naturally, the followup to that reaction is: what kind of exercises does she do? Coolly enough, some of the answers are right on her own Facebook page! She responded to fan questions about her workout with this: "PUSH-UPs are my favorite exercise for my arms. You may need to start on your knees in three sets of 10. Try to work to getting off your knees and doing as many push-ups as possible a day until your arms look the way YOU want. "Try different arm positions as well, hands in a triangle with nose to the middle of it for triceps, arms wide hands turned out for chest, and then the good ol' classic push-up. No gym necessary:) A workout can be incorporated into your daily activities which we can discuss later. "Do some kind of physical activity every day or every other day. Do what you love with a lot of determination to reach your personal physical goals. Remember, beauty is all about how you read more

The waist is one of those perpetually challenging areas to exercise, don't you think? But it doesn't have to be! That's why this move by Blogilates' Cassey Ho—via the Los Angeles Times—is so cool. Hip twists help strengthen your core muscles while also defining your waist! The move works to strengthen and firm your obliques—which, in turn, will even help your back muscles. Here's how to do it: Lie on the floor, belly side down. Prop yourself on your elbows, with your hands clasped and your legs extended straight out into a plank position. Make sure to keep your back, legs, and neck all lined up, with your tailbone tucked under. Twist your body so that your right hip taps the floor. Lift up back to center, all while keeping your body in a straight line. Then twist to the other side, and touch your left hip to the floor. Return to the center. (Click the L.A. Times link above if you want to get a video how-to!) If staying up on your toes for this move is too difficult, drop to your knees and continue. Do 20 taps on each side. What's your favorite core-strengthening exercise? Have you ever read more

Do you like working out solo, or do you recruit a partner? It's all personal preference, really, though there are a lot of good reasons to sweat with someone else: Having a buddy can make you work out harder than you might on your own and keep you accountable (a.k.a., get you to roll out of bed and put on your gym gear instead of sleeping in). Plus, he or she can even make your workouts safer—and, if these celebrity photos are anything to go by, also much more fun. Jessica Biel and her pups: When it comes to exercise time, dogs do not take "no" for an answer. Jessica doesn't seem to mind! Eric Dane and Billie, his daughter with Rebecca Gayheart: I mean, come on. Cutest workout buddy ever! Heidi Klum and boyfriend Martin Kristen: There are tons and tons of photos these two exercising together (and enjoying post-workout beverages!). Tons. They use city benches for leg exercises and all kinds of neat stuff. Heidi Klum and Russell Simmons: But Heidi will also exercise with her pals! Here she is doing yoga with Russell in the park... ...and Kim Kardashian (this was shot pre-North West, of course). Hugh read more

There are times when I feel especially adventurous during my daily runs, so I take different slightly routes to mix things up a bit. This isn't always successful though. In fact, sometimes it's just stupid. Yesterday I rediscovered an overgrown path that is clearly almost never used—except at least once, when somebody apparently decided to dispose of a big loop of barbed wire in the middle of the path. A big loop of barbed wire that somebody else—me—didn't see, and stepped right into, ending up with bloody scratches all over the places. And because pieces of metal hanging around in the great outdoors are prime spots for tetanus, I decided to play it safe and get a tetanus shot (it's been a while since I had my last booster). All of this is to say: Exercising outdoors is great for your body (and your mood!), but it's important to be safe when you're doing it. So here are a few ways of doing just that: Don't head to remote spots. Not only may there be overgrown vegetation, unclear pathways, and things like—I don't know—barbed wire, there's also the chance of encountering an animal or person you would rather not. Stick read more

No doubt about it, swimming is great exercise: The water is 12 times more resistant than air in every direction, and when you do laps, you're using all your major muscle groups (shoulders, back, abs, legs, hips, and butt). But swimming laps isn't the only way to exercise in the pool. In fact, these ways of toning up and burning calories are so down-low, people might not even notice that you're exercising at all! Tread water. Keep your arms and legs moving! Treading water burns about 11 calories a minute, which is about the same as running 6 miles an hour. And a lot less sweaty. Crunch your abs. Stand in the shallow end with your back against the side of the pool, then extend your arms along the edge. Bring your knees up to your chest, extend your legs in front of you, then bring them back to your chest again. Pretend you're Spider-Man. Or, you know—Spiderwoman. Face the edge of the pool and fan your arms out next to you. Move them back and forth, as if you're treading water, and run your feet up and down up the pool wall. Do the plank. Out of water, planks read more

As the weather gets beachier and beachier (or, if you're like me and live a gajillion miles away from a beach—poolier and poolier), the possibility of having to wear a bathing suit goes up by about 97 percent. So if you want to prep your midsection for sun exposure, add this series of ab-blasting exercises from Pilatesology to your morning routine! Pilatesology—created by the husband-and-wife team of Jack Coble and Alisa Wyatt—is a site filled with streaming videos of pure Pilates classes for every level. Basically, you can get an expert Pilates class for $19 a month (or $150 a year), and you never have to leave your house! Well, not until it's time to go to the beach, anyway, but you'll have killer abs once you get there. Criss-Cross: Ditch the muffin-top with this side-lengthening, oblique-blasting, maximum-sculpting Pilates move. Lie on your back with knees bent to your chest, hands behind your head, elbows wide. Inhale and lift your shoulders off the mat, bringing your eyes toward your navel. Twist to bring your left elbow toward your right knee as you extend your left leg straight. Hold for a count of 3 and look out past your right elbow. read more

June 5 is National Running Day—who knew? And whether or not you are—or have already—celebrated by sweating on the treadmill or out on the trail (or maybe doing something else entirely!), here's something good to know: Couples who run together apparently have more sex together. Brooks Running Company conducted a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults who run at least once a week, asking them questions about why they run, what they talk about when they run, and, yes—if they believe running improves their sex lives. And 66 percent of runners think that co-running makes for more sessions in the sack! But the Brooks Run Happy Nation Report also found out some other fascinating facts: * When going on a trip, 67 percent of runners have opted to leave something out of their suitcase so that they can instead include their running shoes. * San Francisco ranked as the top running city (46 percent—but my goodness, all those hills!), then Portland (34 percent), Boston (32 percent), Boulder (30 percent), and New York City (also 30 percent). * 27 percent would pick Jimmy Fallon as a running partner; 22 percent would pick Chelsea Handler or Jimmy Kimmel. * When running with a read more